VA: Some vets eligible for compensation

The local Manitowoc County Veterans Service Office says it’s taking calls from veterans who were previously stationed at a North Carolina military base because of contaminated water there.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has established “presumptions for the service connection” linked to eight diseases that could be associated with exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

“Presumptive service conditions” are diagnosed conditions that the VA presumes may have been caused because of circumstances during a person’s military service. In those cases, disability compensation can be awarded.

The North Carolina-related presumption is for active- or reserve-duty or National Guard members who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 cumulative days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987, and are diagnosed with any of the following conditions: adult leukemia; aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes; bladder, kidney or liver cancer; multiple myeloma; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; or Parkinson’s disease.

The Manitowoc County Veterans Service Office says it’s taking calls at 920-683-4055 from people who have questions or want to schedule an appointment to talk about, and possibly file a claim for, one of the above diagnosed conditions.

“We have a responsibility to take care of those who have served our nation and have been exposed to harm as a result of that service,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald said in a VA news release. “Establishing a presumption for service at Camp Lejeune will make it easier for those Veterans to receive the care and benefits they earned.”

Felician plans caregiver classes

A Manitowoc assisted living and long-term care facility says it’s planning a series of “Caregiver College” classes this year for both family members and professionals who care for Alzheimer’s patients.

Felician Village says it’s partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association in presenting the courses, most of which will be at Felician’s Village Hall facility, in Manitowoc at 1635 S. 21st St.

The first in both the family and professional series of classes are slated to run later this month.

The first professionals-targeted class, titled “Intimacy and Sexuality in Dementia Care,” is scheduled to run 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 27. The session is aimed at preparing professional caregivers to respond to intimacy and sexuality changes and challenges in older adults with dementia. The cost is $45.

The first family class, called “The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s,” will run 2 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28. Attendees will learn the difference between normal aging memory changes and more serious memory problems.

To register for the family sessions, call 920-684-7171, extension 329. To register for the professional caregivers classes, call the same number, ext. 351.

For a complete list of classes, visit felicianvillage.org.

Elks Lodge plans Constitution tests

The local Elks Lodge says it’s planning to run U.S. Constitution-related tests as part of a high school contest later this month.

Manitowoc’s Elks Lodge 687 says its 40-question test, which includes multiple-choice questions and an essay, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 18 at the lodge building.

Each Elks Lodge can send one high school senior to the state-level contest, which offers a monetary award. The state contest is expected to take place March 26.

For details or to register for the local test, call Mike Demske, the local lodge’s contest chairman, at 920-684-1624.

Arbor Day Foundation offers free trees

The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign.

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow, or they will be replaced for free.

Members also receive a subscription to the foundation’s bimonthly publication, Arbor Day, and The Tree Book, which contains information about planting and care.